Turf Moof
Turf Moor is an association football stadium in Burnley, Lancashire, England. It is the home ground of Premier League club Burnley Football Club, who have played there since moving from its Calder Vale ground in 1883. The stadium, which is situated on Harry Potts Way, named so after the club's longest serving Manager, has a capacity of 21,401, all seated. It was one of the last remaining stadiums in England to have the players' tunnel and dressing rooms behind one of the goals, until it was covered for seating in time for the 2014-15 Premier League season and rebuilt between the David Fishwick and James Hargreaves stand. The ground originally consisted of just a pitch and the first grandstand was not built until 1885. Six years after this, the "Star" stand was erected and terracing was later added to the ends of the ground. After the Second World War, the stadium was redeveloped with all four stands being rebuilt. During the 1990s, the ground underwent further refurbishment when the Longside and Bee Hole End terraces were replaced by all-seater stands. Currently, the four stands at Turf Moor are the James Hargreaves Stand, the Jimmy McIlroy Stand, the Bob Lord Stand and the Cricket Field Stand. Burnley played their first match at the ground on 17 February 1883, losing 3–6 to local side Rawtenstall. When Prince Albert Victoropened a new hospital in Burnley in 1886, Turf Moor became the first football ground to be visited by a member of the British Royal Family. The first Football League match at the ground took place on 6 October 1888, with Fred Poland scoring the first competitive goal at the stadium. The record attendance at Turf Moor was set in 1924 when 54,755 people attended an FA Cup tie between Burnley and Huddersfield Town. In the same year, Turf Moor hosted its only FA Cup semi-final to date. In 1927, the stadium was the venue of an international match between England and Wales. Since then, the ground has been used to host matches in theEuropean Under-19 Championship and European Under-21 Championship fixtures. In 2007, plans for expansion of Turf Moor were released to the public. The Burnley directors proposed a major development of the stadium, costing £20 million. The plans, which would incorporate the rebuilding of the Cricket Field Stand and the moving of the players' entrance tunnel, have been put on hold until the current financial climate improves. In 2009, following Burnley's promotion to the Premier League, the development of a second tier on the Bob Lord stand was announced. Director Paul Fletcher stated that the anticipated capacity of Turf Moor would eventually be 28,000 to cope with extra fans. However following the club's relegation from the Premier League in 2010, these plans were put on hold indefinitely. After again achieving promotion to the Premier League in 2014 further Ground renovations were undertaken to comply with new regulations include housing for International Media, relocation of the players tunnel and upgrades to seating in the David Fishwick Stand for away supporters.4 On 26 June 2014 the club unveiled a planning application for extensions to the Turf Moor front entrance including the rebuilding of the official Club Shop containing a first floor museum.5 Contents hide * 1History * 2Structure and facilities * 3Future * 4Transport * 5References * 6External links Historyedit Turf Moor in 1905 Sport was first played at the Turf Moor site in 1833, when Burnley Cricket Club was founded and made the ground their home. Horse racing also took place at the site in 1840.6 In 1883, the cricket club invited Burnley Football Club, which had been formed in 1882, to move from their original home at Calder Vale to a football pitch adjacent to the cricket field. The first football match at Turf Moor took place on 17 February 1883, when Burnley were defeated 3–6 by Rawtenstall.3 Attendances at Turf Moor during the early years averaged at around 2,000, although a crowd of 12,000 descended on the stadium on 29 March 1884 to see Burnley lose 2–4 to local rivals Padiham.7 For the first two years, spectators were forced to congregate around the pitch, so in 1885 the club built an 800-seater wooden grandstand along the Brunshaw Road side (the south side) of the ground and installed terracing for 5,000 people at the ends of the pitch. The following year, Turf Moor became the first senior football ground to be visited by a member of the British Royal Family when Prince Albert Victor saw Burnley defeated 3–4 by Bolton Wanderers on 13 October 1886, while visiting the town to open a new hospital.38 Aerial photograph of Turf Moor in 1929 Turf Moor hosted its first Football League match on 6 October 1888, when Burnley won 4–1 against Bolton Wanderers. Five minutes into the game, Burnley centre forward Fred Poland scored the first ever league goal at the ground.9 In 1891 the Burnley Union Star Football Club disbanded, abandoning their Rakehead ground, which was complete with its own grandstand. Burnley bought the stand and moved it to Turf Moor. It became known as the "Star" stand and was erected on the site of the current James Hargreaves Stand, on the north side of the ground.3 In March of the same year, Turf Moor hosted its first floodlit football match. Sixteen creosote-fuelled lamps were placed at Category:Stadiums